SCO ready to clean out Linux users for $1399 per CPU (Register) [LWN.net]

SCO ready to clean out Linux users for $1399 per CPU (Register)

Posted Aug 5, 2003 23:39 UTC (Tue) by mmarq (guest, #2332)
In reply to: SCO ready to clean out Linux users for $1399 per CPU (Register) by rknop
Parent article: SCO ready to clean out Linux users for $1399 per CPU (Register)

But to RED HAT to lose, SCO has to show were the infringing code is, and that code will be cleaned, perhaps in less than a week... so RED HAT by losing will actualy win.

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SCO ready to clean out Linux users for $1399 per CPU (Register)

Posted Aug 6, 2003 0:30 UTC (Wed) by dwalters (subscriber, #4207) [Link]

True, Red Hat could fall on its sword, the infringing code identified and removed, and the world would move on.

However, SCO might argue in court that the evidence should be "lawyers eyes only" due to trade secret issues, and if successful, the code would not be made public if SCO wins.

Of course, Red Hat's argument is that since all Linux source code is public anyway, there are no secrets in it, so trade secret protections don't apply. This ought to be very compelling. Let's hope so, anyway.

What really annoys me is the way SCO paints all of us Linux community folks as pirates who just want to get away with stealing their code. Based on all the fine, intelligent people I've met in our community, this couldn't be further from the truth. Almost all of us DO respect copyrights, and just want any copyright-infringing code, if it really is there, to be verifiably identified, removed, and rewritten in a clean room, so that GNU/Linux can be free of IP infringement issues.

All this "We'll show you a little sample of infringing code if you sign an NDA, but you can't write any of it down, and we won't tell you exactly what the files are" nonsense is utterly contemptible, and I desperately hope that Red Hat win their summary judgements to put an end to it.

Finally, if it's true that SCO programmers copied chunks of Linux into the Linux Kernel Personality layer of SCO's Unix product, and you're one of those programmers reading this, PLEASE do the honorable thing and come forward publicly about this; this is too big an issue, and too much damage can be done TO THE WHOLE FLOSS MOVEMENT by this SCO FUD engine for you to remain quiet about this.

SCO ready to clean out Linux users for $1399 per CPU (Register)

Posted Aug 6, 2003 1:31 UTC (Wed) by mmarq (guest, #2332) [Link]

Trade Secrets in a Open-Source kernel ?
And if RED HAD lawyers are going to make a wonderfull job, they will bring up every kind of expert witness to validate every piece of SCO evidence.

I belive those who signed that NDA were deceived all the time, because although they saw two pieces of identical code, they could not certify Sh?t.

SCO ready to clean out Linux users for $1399 per CPU (Register)

Posted Aug 6, 2003 3:20 UTC (Wed) by freemars (subscriber, #4235) [Link]

...SCO might argue in court that the evidence should be "lawyers eyes only" due to trade secret issues...

Perhaps Red Hat's lawyers could convince the judge to include all non-infringing code lines in some public document.

By setting the price at $1399, SCO may have helped Red Hat decide how much to ask in damages.

SCO ready to clean out Linux users for $1399 per CPU (Register)

Posted Aug 6, 2003 17:07 UTC (Wed) by rknop (guest, #66) [Link]

What really annoys me is the way SCO paints all of us Linux community folks as pirates who just want to get away with stealing their code.

Agreed. Especially considering that SCO is trying to abscond with the huge amount of work that the Linux kernel community has done, and use it to justify lining their own pockets.

Who are the real pirates here? Who are the ones committing wanton theft and abuse? Whose rights are being trampled upon?

The fact that anybody at all in our society gives SCO absolutely any credence is an indication of how much perspective we have lost when it comes to the whole idea of "intellectual property rights".

-Rob